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Hurricane Helene and Its Effects On the AT
The Southern Part of the Trail Will Be Different for Years
Hurricane Helene
Hurricane Helene made landfall late at night on September 26th. It continued its path north beyond Florida, Georgia and into Tennessee, the Carolinas and Virginia. The hurricane took an unusual path far north and into areas already soaked by prior days of rain. Usually hurricanes loose steam rapidly over land, as they are essentially powered by warm water in their path (to put in simple terms). The soaked land allowed the hurricane to retain its strength for longer than usual and dump massive amounts of water so far inland.
For context, the US region Helene entered is one of the wettest in terms of rain, second to the Pacific Northwest. So, it is not unusual for large amounts of rainfall to hit the areas and create flood plains. What is unusual is a hurricane’s amount of water to hit the region all at once. Many areas reported 25 inches or rain or more, which is equivalent to over 25% of their annual rainfall in a single day.
These areas essentially got hit with a once a century flood.
Additionally, the Appalachian Mountains essentially served as a funnel to channel the waters to major cities. Dozens of towns have been affected by massive water surges. Many river height records are above record or have not been seen since the floods of 1916. Many dams were pushed to their limits, many held well past their design. Towns like Chimney Rocks and Asheville have been decimated in ways that are still being calculated.
How Does this Affect the AT?
Many of the towns affected are the trail towns for supplies on the Appalachian Trail. Erwin, Hot Springs, Franklin, Gatlinburg and many more were flooded and suffered various amounts of damage. The road next to Uncle Johny’s in Erwin was washed away, and the hostel itself was submurged in 4 feet of water. These towns are focusing on restoring power, communication and water to help the survivors. It will be months before proper rebuilding can take place.
It will be longer before the trail is properly inspected and restored. Trails and bridges could be washed away, campsites buried in debris, the list goes on. Many people hoping to do their thruhike southbound are now figuring out new plans and for most, their hike is over whether they want to or not. Officially the trail is closed for the first 500 miles or so.
It will be longer before future thruhikers have an experience like I did this year. I pray these businesses and towns will be intact, but time will tell. For potential hikers next year it may be worth considering Flipflops or Southbound hikes to give towns and the trail time to recover from this.
What Can You Do?
Please consider joining your local trail club if you are able. Organizations like the Georgia Appalachian Trail Club (my home club) will be key to restoring the trail to what it was.
If you want to learn more about the status of the AT and information about hiking it visit the Appalachian Trail Conservatory.
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